documentary filmmaking

James Johnson 6-08-2013
Photo courtesy Neale Bayly Rides

James Johnson, the Whiskey Priest, while shooting in Peru. Photo courtesy Neale Bayly Rides

During the shoot one of the crew members said to me, “I could never do what you guys are doing — leave the storytelling to someone else.”  I get that. I haven’t seen the show yet and, honestly, I’m a bit nervous about it. But, I trust my friend Linda. I trust her honesty, creativity, and passion to show what is real. Just like on my better days, I trust God to work out the story of my life, despite scenes I really wish would be chopped before going to print.

I wonder what you’ll see when you watch the show. I wonder what I’ll see. I wonder how many times I’ll wince and think, “James – seriously?” But, I believe that everything is valuable – the good and bad – in the hands of God. I have faith in The Great Storyteller. I have hope in what God is doing in our real world and in our real lives.